


No Present Like The Time

by vialattea



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Miscommunication, Nesting, Post-Canon, they both perceive actions with their brains so naturally things fall apart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23817553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vialattea/pseuds/vialattea
Summary: Aziraphale fidgets in the hallway, a familiar black book held close to his chest. This can’t be good.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 83
Kudos: 300
Collections: Name That Author Round One





	No Present Like The Time

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Six weeks after the world doesn't end, Aziraphale shows up at Crowley's door holding a book."

Aziraphale fidgets in the hallway, a familiar black book held close to his chest. This can’t be good.

Crowley steps back from his peephole and opens the door.

“Ah! Hello, dear,” says Aziraphale. “I thought it was time I returned this to you.”

“Why,” says Crowley, narrowing his eyes.

“Well, there’s no need for me to keep it now.”

The demon pinches the bridge of his nose. “Listen. I invented regifting. So I appreciate the attempt, I really do. But the idea is you dump your shit onto a _new_ person.”

“I-” The angel blinks. “Pardon — ‘gift?’”

Ah. 

What are the stages of grief again? Denial, bargaining, rethinking every gesture you’ve made in the past century, wondering how your angel friend could locate the antichrist in a few hours but apparently doesn't recognize a loving gesture if it hits him right in the bookshop? Yeah, Crowley goes through all of those.

“Angel,” he finally manages, “did you… not realize that book was for you?"

With airline miles, the facial journey Aziraphale is taking at the moment would earn him a free trip to Bolivia. "I thought you left it behind!” 

“For _thirty years?_ ”

Aziraphale gives him a knowing look. “I mean, you did leave your blanket on the sofa.”

"I didn’t! You honestly think I’d buy something that traditional for _myself?_ I’d sooner have the angel wing mugs.”

Aziraphale does not respond. He continues not responding for an extremely conspicuous amount of time.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

Crowley drags a hand down the side of his face. "You cannot be serious." 

“You never _said!_ ” 

“Aziraphale."

But now he's staring into the middle distance, lost to his own stages of grief. “What about the Astaire record?”

“Gift.”

“Chess set?”

"Gift.”

“Loose hairpins?”

"…Alright yeah, that one I did leave by accident.”

“Oh, thank heavens," Aziraphale says, shoulders dropping. "I'd feel awful for never having worn them otherwise.”

Crowley’s just gonna bulldoze past the idea of Aziraphale wearing his hairpins because he’d like to keep his knees functional right now, thanks. “When did you think I was planning to pick this stuff up?”

Aziraphale takes a sudden but passionate interest in the hallway floor tiles. “Ah. Well. I thought if you wanted to visit they might… provide an excuse."

"An excuse."

"Should- should we not be on speaking terms. If you needed a reason. They’d be… insurance."

Ah. There it is.

“But,” the angel continues, “I suppose you weren’t planning for that at all, were you?”

And Crowley shakes his head because no, he wasn’t. He’d been leaving wordless reminders behind — permanent things, things that don’t get worn out or used up — to show Aziraphale he could depend on him being there. Noticing what he needed. Providing it without fanfare.

“Of course not,” he says softly, pulling the angel into an embrace.

“Thank goodness,” sighs Aziraphale. “But, um. Seeing as I’ve misunderstood the nature of our exchanges… I am going to need back all those records I gave you.”

**Author's Note:**

> The book is The Home Planet by Kevin Kelley, which is [actually in the bookshop!](https://mochacoffee.tumblr.com/post/615578857119039488/az-fell-co-catalogue)


End file.
